Thoughts, links & ideas from the 2008 National Teacher of the Year

Each time I've taken off in a plane since May (which is a lot), I've been writing in my journal, then adding these journal entries on this blog.

Check in often, or subscribe to get headlines fed to you! Oh, and the views expressed here are not those of anyone but me. And anyone who happens to share the same views, I guess.

(Note: the blue posted dates are actually the dates I wrote the journal entries, not when I posted them online.)

Sunday, July 20, 2008

The Mike Geisen Story? Probably not.

Charlotte, NC

I finally got a chance to see Ron Clark, 2000 Disney Teacher of the Year, best-selling author, founder of the Ron Clark Academy, inspiration for "The Ron Clark Story" movie, and friend of Oprah.I think the Disney award fits, because he is one animated dude!He’s passionate, energetic, and fun to listen to.

I actually didn’t know anything about him before this crazy year started, but a colleague was teasing me that since I’m the Teacher of the Year, they’re going to make a movie out of my life.I kinda doubt that. I'm hoping for a school named after me, though, so my name will be on everyone's gym clothes.

I had a few minutes to talk with Ron before his presentation last night, and he was very kind and personable.Overall, I was impressed.I didn’t think I would be.

I figured from what I had seen of him, he’d be fairly egocentric and somewhat Disneyfied.And I suppose there was a bit of that, as is probably inevitable.But his passion for kids, for education, and for community change within a global perspective is really quite amazing.He doesn’t just talk about it (like I feel that I sometimes do,) he acts on it.He acts in bold, courageous ways, and never with a half-assed effort.He jumps in with both feet together (like when he jumped into a hot oven at Dunkin’ Donuts and got locked in… funny story, ask him about it sometime…)

While not every teacher can be a Ron Clark (and it’s probably best that they’re not!), his enthusiasm is certainly contagious (and exhausting,) and we can learn a great deal from his bold and innovative approaches to education.